OOCI am sorry this took longer than I promised -.-;
A city that never slept or slumbered, it was a concept that amazed the newcomer that was Levi. Even during these hours people still bustled about except for the few times during the day that the city appeared to go dormant, the closest it would ever achieve to a true rest or sleep. The information being conveyed by Ingrid was, to say the least, very interesting even if the spiritist was not as wide eyed in wonder as his ghostly sister was as he listened.
From what she told him of Sahova, it sounded like an unpleasant place. Some kind of fortified island inhabited by undead where there were monstrosities that even the undead abominations feared? It made Levi wonder why Ingrid would ever go to such a place. She herself said it, the island was dangerous. What could the island offer that it was worth that danger and hazard? Levi could not imagine what kind of things the redhead must have seen during her stay there; well that was more because there was little else he knew of Sahova aside from what Ingrid told him, but even then there was a strange and unsettling feeling that accompanied the name. It must be the factor of the undead that made the place so perturbing to the devout follower of Dira.
Pondering thoughts were not left in peace as something even more astounding was brought to light. Animation, a magic that allowed one to create a soul. It was stunning to say the least. At this even the forcibly passive spiritist could not help but look at Ingrid with widened eyes of amazement and shock. Even Naya stared at Ingrid with quiet wonder. Yes he was technically a mage like Ingrid in the regard they both practiced magic, but Animation was a level beyond Spiritism in what it could accomplish. Creating soulmist that was the essence of a ghost's soul was one thing, but the creation of a soul itself, of artificial life... how was such a feat even possible? Would such a creation be truly a soul? The soul was something within the domain of the goddess of life, so for a mere mortal to harness that power. Was it really right? Then it came to Levi's mind that he had been staring wordlessly with head tilted at Ingrid for a good while. The young man shook his head.
"Ah... my apologies. It is just that I..."Levi trailed off, trying to collect his thoughts as they fissured out of the cracks in his chilly mask, "The creation of life I had always thought to be a feat only the divine could accomplish. A soul is the highest form in creation, so for us to have magic to bring into our hands such a... it can't be right, can it? Ah..." The spiritist stopped himself; damn it, he probably just went and offended Ingrid there. He glanced away and cleared his throat, "I am sorry, the idea of Animation is a very foreign one to us, especially since we had grown up with the teachings of Dira on Black Rock. Life and Death are of equal importance, of a divine importance."
"It sounds cool! Strange, but cool? Though... are you really making souls or trapping souls?" Naya's voice echoed, the cheery girl's voice strangely sombre. Levi appeared to start slightly, but more so at what the ghost implied. Despite that, he remained quiet and allowed Ingrid to continue talking.
The next part struck Levi less with wonder but more with worry. It was the way that the Animator was defending the Nuit. He was indeed looking at Ingrid with an obviously creased brow and a gaze that held a light of vexation. The long engrained values of Dira were rising up in the spirtist's mind, the view of the undead as unnatural monsters that feared and ran from Death. Yet at the same time, a part of his mind almost sympathized in a strange manner. It was the same thing for ghosts; they feared Death, and for good reason perhaps. Maybe not the right reason, but fear they did. But to exist for centuries as the stories said the Nuit did, that was not right at all. "I will say this now very bluntly unfortunately. I do not agree with you Ingrid. The undead are aberrations to the cycle of reincarnation. Life has meaning because it has a purpose and once that purpose is fulfilled, one dies. If you try continuing on in a faded and stagnant form like undeath, what happens to that person? I have seen it in ghosts too often: insanity, all for the sake of their reason to remain. Ghosts and the undead are different, the former is a natural phenomena of the soul whereas the latter is artificial. What has died should pass on to a new life. My job is to help ghosts to realize and fulfil whatever it is that made them remain. As a follower of Dira, I cannot agree with what you are saying about the Nuit." Levi paused, sighing heavily as he looked up into the night sky, gaze cool and tranquil, "We are not here to debate that though... I agreed to help you find your parents if they are here, and that is what I will do."
The three continued their walk and search, Levi much quieter and serious in mood now after the exchange about the Nuit. He turned his head to look at Ingrid. "I have heard that with more skill a spiritist could achieve such. Unfortunately I am not that skilled yet," Levi spoke with a level tone, "Although I could certainly look into developing..." The spiritist stopped in his tracks and raised his right hand, motioning for them to stop. His spiritism honed senses were tingling and he looked around until his gaze fell on the alley the trio were next to. "I sense a ghost in there, follow me."
The spiritist took the lead and walked forward, feeling the ethereal presence getting closer and closer. Eventually he could the wispy form of a ghost, translucent and kneeling on the ground, hands to their face as though they were weeping. They appeared to be female, could it be that they were lucky? Levi spoke cautiously and softly, "Hello there miss? Are you alright?"
A city that never slept or slumbered, it was a concept that amazed the newcomer that was Levi. Even during these hours people still bustled about except for the few times during the day that the city appeared to go dormant, the closest it would ever achieve to a true rest or sleep. The information being conveyed by Ingrid was, to say the least, very interesting even if the spiritist was not as wide eyed in wonder as his ghostly sister was as he listened.
From what she told him of Sahova, it sounded like an unpleasant place. Some kind of fortified island inhabited by undead where there were monstrosities that even the undead abominations feared? It made Levi wonder why Ingrid would ever go to such a place. She herself said it, the island was dangerous. What could the island offer that it was worth that danger and hazard? Levi could not imagine what kind of things the redhead must have seen during her stay there; well that was more because there was little else he knew of Sahova aside from what Ingrid told him, but even then there was a strange and unsettling feeling that accompanied the name. It must be the factor of the undead that made the place so perturbing to the devout follower of Dira.
Pondering thoughts were not left in peace as something even more astounding was brought to light. Animation, a magic that allowed one to create a soul. It was stunning to say the least. At this even the forcibly passive spiritist could not help but look at Ingrid with widened eyes of amazement and shock. Even Naya stared at Ingrid with quiet wonder. Yes he was technically a mage like Ingrid in the regard they both practiced magic, but Animation was a level beyond Spiritism in what it could accomplish. Creating soulmist that was the essence of a ghost's soul was one thing, but the creation of a soul itself, of artificial life... how was such a feat even possible? Would such a creation be truly a soul? The soul was something within the domain of the goddess of life, so for a mere mortal to harness that power. Was it really right? Then it came to Levi's mind that he had been staring wordlessly with head tilted at Ingrid for a good while. The young man shook his head.
"Ah... my apologies. It is just that I..."Levi trailed off, trying to collect his thoughts as they fissured out of the cracks in his chilly mask, "The creation of life I had always thought to be a feat only the divine could accomplish. A soul is the highest form in creation, so for us to have magic to bring into our hands such a... it can't be right, can it? Ah..." The spiritist stopped himself; damn it, he probably just went and offended Ingrid there. He glanced away and cleared his throat, "I am sorry, the idea of Animation is a very foreign one to us, especially since we had grown up with the teachings of Dira on Black Rock. Life and Death are of equal importance, of a divine importance."
"It sounds cool! Strange, but cool? Though... are you really making souls or trapping souls?" Naya's voice echoed, the cheery girl's voice strangely sombre. Levi appeared to start slightly, but more so at what the ghost implied. Despite that, he remained quiet and allowed Ingrid to continue talking.
The next part struck Levi less with wonder but more with worry. It was the way that the Animator was defending the Nuit. He was indeed looking at Ingrid with an obviously creased brow and a gaze that held a light of vexation. The long engrained values of Dira were rising up in the spirtist's mind, the view of the undead as unnatural monsters that feared and ran from Death. Yet at the same time, a part of his mind almost sympathized in a strange manner. It was the same thing for ghosts; they feared Death, and for good reason perhaps. Maybe not the right reason, but fear they did. But to exist for centuries as the stories said the Nuit did, that was not right at all. "I will say this now very bluntly unfortunately. I do not agree with you Ingrid. The undead are aberrations to the cycle of reincarnation. Life has meaning because it has a purpose and once that purpose is fulfilled, one dies. If you try continuing on in a faded and stagnant form like undeath, what happens to that person? I have seen it in ghosts too often: insanity, all for the sake of their reason to remain. Ghosts and the undead are different, the former is a natural phenomena of the soul whereas the latter is artificial. What has died should pass on to a new life. My job is to help ghosts to realize and fulfil whatever it is that made them remain. As a follower of Dira, I cannot agree with what you are saying about the Nuit." Levi paused, sighing heavily as he looked up into the night sky, gaze cool and tranquil, "We are not here to debate that though... I agreed to help you find your parents if they are here, and that is what I will do."
The three continued their walk and search, Levi much quieter and serious in mood now after the exchange about the Nuit. He turned his head to look at Ingrid. "I have heard that with more skill a spiritist could achieve such. Unfortunately I am not that skilled yet," Levi spoke with a level tone, "Although I could certainly look into developing..." The spiritist stopped in his tracks and raised his right hand, motioning for them to stop. His spiritism honed senses were tingling and he looked around until his gaze fell on the alley the trio were next to. "I sense a ghost in there, follow me."
The spiritist took the lead and walked forward, feeling the ethereal presence getting closer and closer. Eventually he could the wispy form of a ghost, translucent and kneeling on the ground, hands to their face as though they were weeping. They appeared to be female, could it be that they were lucky? Levi spoke cautiously and softly, "Hello there miss? Are you alright?"
Credit goes to the fantastic Firenze
